Adjustable Lap Band Surgery - AGB

Adjustable lap band surgery helps the severely obese to improve the health and happiness

Adjustable lap band surgery continues to grow in popularity as an effective form of bariatric surgery. Adjustable gastric banding, or AGB, is recommended only for those that have at least 100 pounds to lose. People that have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater, or are at least 100 pounds overweight stand to benefit greatly from this revolutionary weight control procedure.

Adjustable lap band surgery works by restricting the amount of food that is digested by the individual. During the adjustable lap band surgery procedure, a ring or band is applied around a portion of the stomach in order to restrict the volume of the useable stomach area. This restricts the amount of food that can be taken in.

While adjustable lap band surgery decreases the size of the stomach, restricting the amount of food that can be ingested; adjustable gastric bypass (AGB) increases weight loss results. Adjustable gastric bypass refers to a procedure where the restricted stomach pouch is connected to the upper small intestine, bypassing a portion of the stomach and small intestine.

Adjustable gastric bypass is a type of malabsorptive therapy, meaning that the body is not allowed to absorb as much of the food a person takes in. By bypassing a portion of the intestines, less calories and fat are absorbed by the individual, resulting in even greater weight loss.

Adjustable lap band surgery is quite different from traditional bariatric surgery, or ‘stomach stapling’. For one, there are no surgical staples used as in vertical gastric binding (stomach stapling). Vertical gastric binding has been shown to pose potential risks of stomach perforation when these staples come loose or are put under excess stress by overeating.

Another advantage of evolving adjustable lap band surgery procedures is that patients are able to make adjustments to the capacity of their stomach pouch without having to undergo additional surgery. This is truly revolutionary, as many people find it important to be able to increase the capacity of their stomach once they reach their goal weight and can consume more calories than when actively loosing weight.

Before deciding if adjustable lap band surgery is right for you, you should take the time to educate yourself about the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of bariatric weight loss surgery that is available. Consulting a medical professional that specializes in the treating of severe obesity is the best way to familiarize yourself with adjustable lap band surgery.